Many of us struggle with controlling the amount of sugar in our diet. Diets containing large amounts of sugar can create many health problems such as weight gain and high blood pressure.
Luckily, there are several ways to help control your sugar intake. Why not try using natural sweeteners to help make your favorite foods taste a little sweeter. Honey is a favorite among sweeteners, because it is 25 to 50 percent sweeter than regular sugar. Molasses is another alternative to artificial sweeteners. Not only does it contain amounts of fructose, glucose and sucrose, it also has nutritional value from vitamin B, calcium and iron. Maple syrup can also be used to sweeten any food item. Maple syrup comes from the sap in maple trees and contains glucose and sucrose. However, maple syrup is only 60 percent as sweet as sugar but is a much healthier alternative.
What about artificial sweeteners? How safe are they? There are a few artificial sweeteners that have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration and are greatly used in cooking and for topping meals. Saccharine, commonly known from its use in the product Sweet and Low, is used mainly for baking. However, it is several hundred times sweeter than sugar. It is recommended to be used in a fraction of the sugar substitute amount in a recipe. Aspartame is another artificial sweetener commonly used in ingredients. However, this substitute cannot be used in baking. There have been numerous studies on whether aspartame causes cancer. Current studies show that a correlation between cancer and aspartame has not been found, but the FDA still recommends using it in small doses.
Here are a few tips that can help control your sugar intake:
1. Choose fruits for snacks as well as desserts instead of processed foods
2. Try not to add extra sugar to your food or beverages
3. Try to stay away from soft drinks, but if you cannot fight the urge, try low-sugar or sugar-free alternatives
4. Add protein to your diet to help with high blood sugar
5. Read labels and choose wisely
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